Bosses at the trust which runs the hospitals in Doncaster and Bassetlaw have launched an investigation over a £12 million black hole in their finances.

The Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Foundation Trust is reporting a year-to-date deficit of £12million - contrary to previous financial reports forecasting that the Trust would end the financial year in surplus.

Patients who use the services run by the trust, are being reassured not to be concerned about the change and patient care will continue as normal.

Bosses say the issue has been found as a result of internal financial controls highlighting a concern in the accuracy of previously reported positions, leading the Director of Finance and Infrastructure to complete a full six month financial position review which highlighted the Trust is spending more on a monthly basis than it is earning.

Mike Pinkerton, Chief Executive for the Trust said: “Our internal controls raised a concern about the reported financial position which led us to complete some further internal checks, uncovering some inaccuracies in financial reporting.

“For the first five months of the year the accounts have been reported inaccurately to the Director of Finance and Infrastructure and the Board of Directors and as a result I have requested an external investigation into how our finances have been managed, which is already underway. As the person ultimately responsible for the systems of financial management and control within the organisation the Director of Finance and Infrastructure has resigned.

“I would like to reassure patients that providing safe and effective care is our highest priority and will remain our clear focus. Patients are in no way affected by the financial position as patient care continues as normal.

“As a Trust we have faced and overcome difficult issues before by staying true to our strategy and working through them together. As the Chief Executive I believe my role is to steady the ship and steer us through these difficult challenges ensuring we remain focused on patient care.

“The unprecedented financial pressure the NHS currently faces has been widely reported and as a Trust we have saved £45 million over the last few years, whilst investing in in services but there does come a point when that becomes very difficult to continue to make the savings required and meet the pressures of additional demand whilst maintaining and improving quality. Nevertheless, we will be working hard to maximise savings and minimize the future impact on the care we provide to our patients.”